Monday, March 19, 2012

Quick Cinnamon Apple Buns (No Yeast) - A Guest Post By Deeba Rajpal

Passionate About Baking and Deeba Rajpal - India's best baking blog and the very passionate baker behind the blog - who has remained immune to their charms?? Exploring food blogs, when I first came across PAB I was spellbound! This lady baking all this in India and how!! That was the beginning of her being a constant source of awe and inspiration to me, the sea of her delightful recipes, the slightest nudge a baker (obsessive or reluctant!) needs to turn on the oven. Apart from being a very talented baker, food stylist and superb photographer, she is one of the sweetest and most generous people I have known. Not to mention a very-down-to-earth and humble person for all her celebrity status. Be it in the way she admits to the odd baking disaster in her kitchen or in the way she effusively thanks her readers for the smallest of gestures. Am sure you will agree, every blogger in India aspires to achieve at least a tiny fraction of the adulation and name Deeba has achieved. As food bloggers, we are indeed fortunate to have PAB to look up to, the blog which has put Indian home-baking on the international map!

I had a short while ago requested Deeba for a guest post and she instantly agreed! Am touched by her words, my heartfelt thanks to my favorite blogger for guest-posting for me! Its truly an honor to have her gorgeous and delectable Quick Apple Cinnamon Buns on my blog. I can smell the cinnamon and the butter, oh! yumm!! Now over to Deeba...

Thank you Suma for asking me to guest post for you. These Quick Cinnamon Buns are for your yummy blog, a constant reminder of how sweet a food blogger can be. I am fortunate to have crossed paths with yours! I have endlessly bothered this poor girl for baking stuff like vital gluten from Bangalore that I cannot find in Gurgaon/Delhi, and she obliges happily each time. Inching forward, my list hesitatingly began with gluten went on to dark cocoa {from Nilgiris} ...and then I stole a mile when she offered an inch! Now I regularly get parchment paper, instant active yeast, piping bags from this lovely lady.

She hesitatingly asked me a short while ago if I would do a guest post for her, and I was amazed! After all I have pestered her to do, it's her right to ask and my duty to oblige! So here I am, with a' quick bread' which works great for breakfast or a snack, yet doubles up as a rustic dessert.

Quick Apple Cinnamon Buns {no yeast}, a quick bread I discovered while looking for recipe ideas for last months Daring Baker challenge. {I made Double Chocolate Dessert Popovers then...}. I made changes, as thats something inherently characteristic of me. I subbed a little plain flour for wholewheat, and added some apples and walnuts to the filling. Also a dash of cinnamon to the topping!

Great for breakfast, wonderful with that indulgent cup of filtered coffee, and charmingly rustic for a warm dessert. How nice to have it baking while dinner is served and then dig into warm apple walnut cinnamon buns bursting with flavor. Oh, did I tell you the whole house smelt so good?

So if you are wary of the yeast monster, these are quick buns for you. And, if you aren't afraid of the yeast factor, yet want some fast track yumminess, these are worth every bite.

[print_this]Recipe: Quick Cinnamon Buns with Cinnamon Icing

Summary: Quick no yeast apple, cinnamon and walnuts buns which bake in a jiffy {no yeast} and make for a nice rustic dessert {or quick snack}. Adapted minimally from Cook's Illustrated

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk and 2 Tbsp melted butter in measuring cup. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed and the dough starts coming together in a shaggy ball { I needed to add about 1/4 cup extra flour but I think that was because I used the Thermomix which wasn't necessary}. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy{ about 1 minute}

Starting on long side, roll dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch seam to seal. Roll log seam-side down and cut evenly into eight pieces. With hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal open edges and keep filling in place. Place one roll in center of prepared pan , then place remaining seven rolls around perimeter of pan. Brush with remaining 2 tbsp melted butter. {Don't worry if there are gaps. They will fill up during baking}

Bake until edges are golden brown, 23-25 minutes. Use offset spatula to loosen buns from pan without separating. Place a large plate carefully over top of pan and using potholders invert pan onto plate. Using a second large plate and potholders, carefully invert rolls again to be face-up. Cool about 5 minutes before icing.

While buns are cooling, whisk together cream, buttermilk and cinnamon with the powdered sugar until thick and smooth. {Add more sugar/buttermilk as required to get a thick consistency}.

Thank you for having me over Suma, and giving me time to mingle with your beautiful readers. It's wonderful to have met you, and that virtual shall soon become real one day. I really enjoyed doing the guest post for one of my fave bloggers! Hugs!!

Lovely blogs and very inspirational. Very curious though about the buttermilk. What did you use for buttermilk in India. In the US we are used to getting buttermilk at regular grocery stores. Did you try the milk/vinegar method for buttermilk or just diluted yogurt. Please let me know.

oh im a big fan of PAB, dont miss her posts, the reason being same as why i love ur blog too.. ur both bakers in india & ur recipe's will be easy to replicate knowing il get all the ingredients easily :) the cinnamon rolls looks awesome

Amazing buns! And the icing looks so tempting, even though I am normally very indifferent to icing. I love that you use buttermilk in it, one of my favorite ingredients (I always have leftovers from cheese making)